Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) Program

Empowering Parents, Educating Children, Investing in the Future

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) partners with parents to prepare their children for success in school. With HIPPY, parents build on their capacity to be their child’s first teacher and strengthen the parent-child relationship.

HIPPY is a free program for parents of preschoolers who are two, three, or four years old and who want to instruct their children at home. Parents will learn to engage their children in activities related to:

  • Shapes and Colors
  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Language Development

Parents meet with a HIPPY-trained instructor for an hour each week, October through May. Meetings take place with a small group of parents virtually or at a central location.

Parents receive:

  • Age-appropriate activity packets to use with their children at home
  • Nine story books
  • A set of 20 geometric shapes
  • Other supplies

HIPPY instructors are members of the communities they serve. Their knowledge of the community allows them to connect with parents, understand the challenges they face, and develop a trusting relationship with them.

You may enroll in HIPPY by telephone if:

  • You reside in Fairfax County.
  • Your child has celebrated a second, third, or fourth birthday before the start of the program (September 30).
  • Your child is not already enrolled in Head Start.

For more information, please complete the interest form and a Program Leader will respond to you.

Contacts

Sara Parada
Hippy Program Leader
703-204-4350

Laura Cook
Family Partnership Specialist
703-204-4330